506 yards of total offense
DETROIT, Mich. – For the second time this season, the Michigan Tech football team shut out its opponent in the second half, spoiling Wayne State’s Homecoming by doubling up the score 48-24 at Tom Adams Field on a hot Saturday afternoon in October.
Michigan Tech starts the GLIAC slate 1-0 and now holds a 4-1 overall ledger as Wayne State falls to 0-5 and 0-1 in the loop.
For the game, the Huskies produced season-highs of 506 yards of total offense, rushes (44), TD passes (5) and first downs (28). Quarterback Alex Bueno threw for 235 yards (17-for-27) and a career-high four touchdown passes. Wide receiver Nic Nora had his second two-touchdown game of the season and his career, leading the receiving core with four receptions for 95 yards. Senior running back Kolby Hindenach posted a career-high 84 yards rushing on 15 carries.
Both teams were whistled for 10 penalties, with the Huskies incurring 100 yards of penalties compared to 75 for the Warriors.
“Our guys responded and settled down after the first half,” Tech head coach Dan Mettlach said. “I liked a lot of the things we did and at the end of the day, coming off a week break, it’s likely to look rusty, but I thought the self-inflicted stuff needs to end if we’re going to win games later on in the league schedule.”
The two teams combined for 35 points in the first quarter, with Wayne State producing three touchdowns compared to two scores for the Black & Gold.
Bueno led his squad to the endzone on the first drive of the day, capped with a 32-yard TD pass to Nora with two rushes from Hindenach and a pass interference drawn by Bryce Kurncz setting up the score.
Wayne State answered with a score on their first drive of the day with a gadget play that showcased wide receiver Justyz Tuggle hitting tight end Nick Ostas for a 40-yard bomb.
Both teams produced pick-sixes in the first half, with Wayne State’s Kelly Matthews returning a 53-yard interception to the house to pull ahead 14-7. Tech linebacker Chase Koch’s pick-six tied the game at 21-all early in the second half after the Warriors trekked 65 yards in 1:15 with a one-yard rush from quarterback Champion Edwards with 10 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Wayne State would lead for the final time following a 44-yard field goal by Griffin Nowak after eating up 5:30 off the clock in 10 plays.
With under seven minutes in the first half, Michigan Tech outscored Wayne State 17-0 with a double pass resulting in a 45-yard TD pass from Ethan Champney to Kurncz for 45 yards with Pierce Miller crunching Edwards for a six-yard sack setting the Huskies offense up once again at Wayne State’s 45 yard line resulting in a 21-yard passing TD from Bueno to Drew Collins who juked away from a defender before reaching the endzone making it 35-24.
The stout Huskies defense forced another three-and-out as the offense got a 10-yard reception by Kurncz, and a 21-yard grab by Dashiel Blake to set up a 21-yard field goal by Avery Kucharski to make it 38-24 heading into halftime.
The high-flying first half seemingly zapped the Warriors’ offense, which accrued just 59 yards in 23 plays, including -6 rushing yards in the third quarter and an interception by linebacker Desmond Mullen in the fourth. The Huskies’ defense stood tall on third and fourth downs as the Warriors went 0-for-11 on third and fourth down conversions.
Kucharski connected on his second field goal of the day with a 21-yard field goal midway through the third quarter to make it 41-24.
Defensive back Terrence Martin led the Black & Gold with seven total tackles, as Koch added five tackles for a loss of 16 yards to go with his pick-six. Brenden Keahl and Kyle Gettemy also accounted for a TFL.
Up Next
The Huskies remain on the road next week, traveling to Davenport on Saturday for a 2 p.m. kickoff.
